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120th Anniversary of the Land Run

One of the most amazing events in U.S. history took place on this day in 1889 in Oklahoma.At noon, a shot was fired signaling the beginning of what came to be known as the Oklahoma Land Rush.Some 50,000 settlers scurried to make their claims on about 2 million acres opened by the federal government.By that afternoon, both Oklahoma City and Guthrie had gone from zero population to 10,000 each, with streets laid out, town lots staked off, and the beginnings of local government set up.The 1890 Census counted just over a quarter of a million people in Oklahoma. Now, the state is home to 3.6 million.